| Carcassonne with vineyards in the foreground - photo by Sony Stark |
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There's lots of news here at GoNOMAD.com this month. We're going to be streamlining the site so that it loads faster, especially for dial-up readers, and we'll be making some artistic changes to make it look even better.
But the big news, as usual, is the writing. GoNOMAD Blogger Cindy Dale gets a thorough dunking in the rapids of the Tara River in Bosnia, but still manages to enjoy the splendid scenery and the friendly locals. Be sure to visit our Bosnia Rafting Jump Page.
And we're offering two more stories on the world's number one travel destination: (where else?)
France. Senior Travel Editor Kent E. St. John visits the Rhone Alpes Region and savors the finest food and wine in the world (ever hear of Paul Bocuse?) and reports the scenery and the historic sites are fantastic, too.
Sony Stark, aka Pilotgirl, tours the South of France and writes about the "unhurried pleasures and fairy-tale photography." We think you'll enjoy her photos of the walled city of Carcassonne.
Editor Max Hartshorne visits the original New Zealanders, the Maori, and reports on their history and culture.
David Rich, happily homeless for more than 15 years, reports on the spectacular caves and rock sculptures fashioned at Petra by the wily Nabateans in Jordan many centuries ago.
Tim Lehnert writes about an agricultural fair in West Tisbury, on Martha's Vineyard, Dr. A.M. Benton of Oxford University reviews the best bookstores and libraries in England, and Dr. Laszlo Tikos (UMass Amherst) visits Belgrade, Serbia, where he runs into (who else?) SpongeBob Squarepants.
Ryan McDonald contributes a wonderful feature about an engineer from the Philippines who gave it all up to care for orphans in Thailand. Sean Healy goes cliff jumping, rappelling and swimming through the underground rivers of Mexico's Canon las Adjuntas.
We also have great articles on chilling in Bequia, eating conch in Turks and Caicos, shopping in Syria, dining on Asian Fusion Cuisine in Macau, and so much more...
Just another month of top-notch travel writing on GoNOMAD.com.
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New Stories recently published on GoNOMAD:
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France’s Rhone Alpes Region: Where Food is King
While so many zip past central France heading north to Paris or south to Provence, the opportunities for a fascinating glimpse into the French lifestyle can be found in the areas of Cote de Rhone, Beaujolais and Drome, all in the Rhone Alpes Region. The Romans enjoyed the area long ago and for many of the same reasons travelers today will: food, wine and beauty go hand in hand... |
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Meeting the Maori: The Original New Zealanders
A recent trip to New Zealand’s North Island afforded us the familiar scenic beauty, friendly faces, and terrific food. It also gave us a chance to glimpse into another culture -- the Maori.
Aotearoa is what the Maori call this lovely land, and their language, Te Reo, is being taught in schools across the country. You can hear TV and radio broadcast in Te Reo; the music is hypnotic and enchanting... |
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Thailand: Dada's Grand Plans for Helping Kids
Fifteen years ago Richard Zoleta was a highly paid engineer in the Philippines, but he gave it up to live in a bamboo hut in western Thailand. He is now known as “Dada” to the 40 orphans he takes care of at Baan Dada in Huay Ma Lai, near Myanmar. Baan means “house” in Thai and Dada is Sanskrit for “brother.” For the past three years I’ve led a small volunteer group to his home deep in the woods... |
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Touring the South of France: Ancient Bones, Fine Wine and Fairy-Tale Castles
Of the three cities I toured, Bezier, Narbonne and Carcassonne, admittedly I have a crush on the storybook charm of Carcassonne. All were inviting and wonderful but racing around circular stone staircases and wooden tunnels atop the Bastille, envisioning heretics and horsemen attacking from the other side, that really struck a nerve in my travel soul. I dream of the day I return for the giant fireworks display on Bastille Day... |
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West Tisbury: A Rural Respite on Martha's Vineyard
Bob Woodruff, 71, is a conservationist, environmental consultant and gentleman farmer who has lived on the Vineyard for almost 40 years. A long-time member of the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society, for the last several years he has brought his team of oxen to the fair, using them to clear logs felled in the tree chopping contest. Traditionally, it was at Ag Soc fairs where particularly splendid cattle, and new types of grain and breeds of apples were displayed. |
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Rafting in Bosnia: A Landscape of Incomparable Splendor
When we entered the calmer waters, I began to look around and see truly astounding sights; like the plump mountains suddenly and infinitely splashed with every sharp shade that nature could bestow, offset against white canyon walls and turquoise coloured waters, under a vast summer sky; a contrast that truly dazzles the senses... |
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Jordan: Petra Rocks
The so-called Rose City of Petra is more a Rainbow City. Its hundred meter (325 feet) vertical cliffs are swirled in shades of magenta, pale blue, pink, tangerine and gutsy gold, whirled together with pinwheels of alternating white sandstone to form the fingerprints of antiquity, jammed with elaborately carved temples towering out of vertical rock faces, a World Heritage site since 1985...
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England by the Book: A Guide to the Best Bookstores and Libraries
It is said that a book can be a machine to think with, full of highlighter marks, scribbles, and dog-eared pages. A book can be a work of art, with delicate engravings and hand tooled leather that smells of autumn days and dust. England is a bibliophile’s paradise with delectable libraries and bookstores. The English had the first newspapers in the 1690s, sponsored the first lending libraries in the 1800s, and were some of the most prolific book collectors in history. .... |
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Serbia: Meeting Sponge Bob in Belgrade
The old city today is a pleasant, European city; the huge park leading to and around the Kalemegdan fortress is the equivalent of New York's Central Park. The main street, Knez Mihailova, crossing Pariska Street, leads to the park, with its many attractions - an open air musical pavilion, four different museums, ice cream parlors and all kinds of street vendors. Young people, locals and the many visitors exhibit a pleasant and laid back atmosphere... |
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A trip around the world is a major undertaking that takes a lot of planning.
Airtreks provides real people who can help you tailor your trip to your specific needs. They also buy an enormous volume of tickets, and pass the savings on to you.
Traveling around the world can be cheaper than a round-trip ticket to a single destination! Price round-the-world fares with Airtreks' Trip Planner. |
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Mexico's Matacanes: Underwater Rivers, Cliff Jumping and Rappelling
So calming and relaxing is this place. Food for the soul and music for the heart to beat by. And then I see it. Ahead, the river disappears as it dives straight down beneath a cliff into a large, pitch-black hole – and there’s no way around it. We stand scratching our heads gazing into the abyss waiting for Alberto to explain how to climb around it. No dice. He elects me as the first to enter and ties the rope to my harness... |
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Bequia: Finding the Real Caribbean
Somewhere out there exists the real Caribbean -- a hidden land pleasantly lacking foreign-owned, all-inclusive resorts that gate guests in and keep the island out. On this island, expats, sailors, guests and locals merge into a unique blend of camaraderie shared over cold beers while serenaded by the rhythms of reggae and steel drums. Here one falls asleep to the cry of the neighbor’s pet goat and wakes up to the alarm of the resident rooster... |
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Macau: The Birthplace of Asian Fusion Cuisine
The Portuguese colonized the tiny Macau peninsula over 400 years ago. Today it is a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China.
Over the years Portuguese cooking and Portuguese genes combined with the those of the locals to create a fabulous blend of peoples and tastes. Their Iberian sense of family and hospitality are all reflected in modern Macau, which is the true birthplace of Asian fusion food... |
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Plan a Great Trip, Save Money... and Help Your Favorite Travel Website
These are the discount travel sites you use all the time. If you access them through GoNOMAD, it helps us, but there's no additional cost to you. So when you plan your next trip, do us a favor: try searching for airfares, hotels and specials. Help us keep providing you with first-rate travel writing by using GoNOMAD when you travel. PASS US ALONG TO YOUR TRAVELING FRIENDS...
Thanks! |
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More Recently Posted Travel Articles
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Brazil: Piranha Fishing on the Amazon River
Piranha fishing remains a highlight of the four-day trip. I chose a family-run agency in Manaus that provided a detailed itinerary, simple but excellent food, and hammocks instead of air-conditioned cabins. On the Amazon, our destination was the Anavilhas Islands, known for its birdlife and wild beauty.
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Italy's Brescia Province: A Land of Magical Abundance
Those traveling through Brescia will find opportunities to soak up relaxation in its spas, enjoy hiking, biking, golf, boating, shopping, exploring history, or just plain eating yourself silly in the many fine restaurants and pastry shops.
For the total spa experience, the Aquaria Spa Center on beautiful Lake Garda is a feast for the body and soul.... |
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Syria Unveiled: A Country of Hidden Treasures
After thousands of years on the trade route, Aleppo is still very much a traditional Arab city. The covered souqs, with old awnings, stretch for miles and offer many goods, including cotton, jewelry and silk. The lanes are narrow and my friends and I have to jump to the side every time a donkey trots by, over-laden with various goods... |
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